Windows Live Messenger and Windows Vista don’t get along

Microsoft Vista is a ‘nope’ operating system. Does it have a release date? Nope. Will it enhance the common user experience? Nope. When people try to install the Zune multimedia device, the conclusion is… ‘nope, doesn’t work’. Lately, it was about the Windows Live Messenger.

Questioned about their installation experience by Marie-Jo Foley, two early MS Vista adopters said this:

“Tester No. 1 (who asked to remain anonymous): “It (WLM) works fine for three hours. Then it crashes all the time. I just had four crashes in a row. I know it’s in beta. But normally, even betas don’t crash that often.”
Tester No. 2 (who also asked not to be named): “WLM sucks on Vista. WLM8 is more stable then 8.1, but its not compatible with all the stuff in Vista (such as song integration with WMP 11). WLM 8 crahsed like once a day on Vista. 8.1 crashes like 10 to 20 times a day. Meanwhile, AIM 6.0 beta runs completely fine on Vista!”

Of course, Microsoft reacts by suggesting a work-around. But this lack of compatibility with the instant messenger, one of the most popular Windows Live services, pushes users to stick to Windows XP to keep the latest version of WLM, or spend some hours of hacking the supposedly top-notch new Windows OS to fix their messenger. And this ‘not-plug-and-play’ dilemma may badly hamper the upcoming Windows OS adoption.